HOPEWELL, Va. — Cleanup continues across Hopewell after Tuesday's storm dumped more than six inches of rain in a short amount of time, leaving behind a significant mess for residents and business owners.
For the owners of James River Tackle on West City Point Road, surveillance cameras captured the moment their store inventory was destroyed by floodwater coming in from both the front and back doors.
"If you go through those doors behind me, that's where we keep all of our back stock and all of that has just been buried in mud and water," owner Donnie Bell said.
Tuesday's storm dumped a large amount of rain in a short period of time, leaving the city's stormwater system unable to keep up.
On Richmond Street, water came up through a manhole cover in front of Milton Weaver's home — and inside his house.
"It's backing up in the tub, toilet and sink," Weaver said.
A few streets over, Scarlett Porter got a call to check her Ring camera.
"That's when we saw my truck, completely, almost submerged underwater, along with his truck in front of the house," Porter said.
With rain still coming down, her daughter's fiancé removed a manhole cover to try to get water away from her parked SUV.
"Just very frustrating, very frustrating," Porter said.
Her daughter, Deanna Porter, said the flooding is a recurring problem.
"It's not the first [time] and probably won't be the last, if Hopewell doesn't do anything about it," Deanna Porter said.
Renee Little captured video on Lynchburg Street Tuesday afternoon showing floodwaters rising toward her front door in a matter of minutes.
"That fire hydrant, you couldn't see nothing but the cap, it was that deep," Little said.
Little has lived at Circle Apartments for three years and said this is far from the first time it has flooded out front.
"This was like the 5th time since I've lived here," Little said.
Full Press Conference: Hopewell Fire Chief Ben Ruppert on severe weather impacts
Hopewell Sheriff Travis Stanley said the speed of the rising floodwaters was striking.
"Give or take about 30 minute period, it went from almost zero to 100," Stanley said.
The sheriff's office is on the bottom floor of the Hopewell Courthouse.
"By 3:40, this whole area was covered in about a half inch to an inch of water, spanning the whole bottom floor," Stanley said.
Court was closed Wednesday while crews worked to clean up the damage. Stanley said the status of court for the following day had not yet been determined.
"We're still up in the air as far as tomorrow is concerned. The Judge will make that call I guess eventually at some point today," Stanley said.
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